BATON ROUGE -- A resolution calling on the National Football League to re-think the sanctions that have been imposed on the New Orleans Saints and its coaches for "bountygate" easily passed a Senate committee Wednesday.

Without objection, House Concurrent Resolution 50 by Rep. Cameron Henry, R-Jefferson, sailed out of the Committee on Senate and Governmental Affairs with little debate and now heads to the full Senate for a final vote.

Henry's measure is non-binding and serves to expresses the wishes of the Legislature. It has already cleared the House with no votes against it.

The resolution says that there is "widespread public opinion throughout the state of Louisiana and beyond that the penalties imposed upon the Saints are too harsh and should be reconsidered."

The Saints organization has been fined $500,000 and has lost second-round draft picks this year and next year; Saints head Coach Sean Payton has been suspended for a year without pay; General Manager Mickey Loomis has been suspended for eight games; and assistant coach Joe Vitt has been suspended for six games.

The NFL is still investigating the roles and possible sanctions of several Saints players in the opponent hit-for-money program.

The sanctions are among the harshest the league has meted out. The franchise and the individuals involved are appealing the penalties to NFL Commissioner Roger Gooddell, who imposed them.

The resolution, handled by Sen. J.P. Morrell, D-New Orleans, during the committee hearing, said that the team has provided New Orleans and Gulf Coast residents with "magical moments" and taxpayers of the state have "invested millions of dollars into the success of the organization by supporting stadium improvements, practice facilities and other incentives" during the years.

"The sanctions faced by the team will likely have a negative economic impact across the Crescent City and the state as a whole," Henry's resolution said.

"No one wants to make excuses for what the Saints did," Morrell said. "But the sanctions are excessive."